Saucepan AI vs Janitor AI: free chat, paid plans, outside models and safety compared
Saucepan AI gives away more: unlimited chat on its own models, 20 premium messages a day and paid tiers from $6 a month. Janitor AI is the bigger, longer-running hub, with official iOS and Android apps and one $12.99 plan. Both allow adult roleplay for 18+ users and accept your own model key.
The short version
Pick Saucepan AI if
- You want stronger hosted models free every day. Saucepan gives 20 premium messages daily on top of unlimited basic chat.
- You want a cheaper entry plan. Saucepan's Teaspoon tier is $6 a month, or $5 billed yearly.
- You want built-in memory tools, rule-based lorebooks and voice playback. Janitor is text-only.
Pick Janitor AI if
- You want an official phone app. Janitor has iOS and Android apps; Saucepan is browser-only.
- You want a larger, longer-running community with a named company and published store ratings.
- You want stronger age checks in the UK, Australia or Brazil, using face, ID or AgeKey options through k-ID.
Saucepan AI vs Janitor AI: side by side
| Saucepan AI | Janitor AI | |
|---|---|---|
| Operator | grubs LLC (Delaware, US), doing business as Saucepan | JanitorAI Inc., US (payments through a Cyprus affiliate) |
| Platforms | Web only, installable to a home screen. No App Store or Google Play app | Web, plus official beta apps named Janitor: Interactive Stories on iOS and Android |
| Price | Chat is free. Saucepan+ $6, $18 or $48/mo ($5, $15 or $40/mo billed yearly) | Chat is free. janitor+ $12.99/mo or $99/yr |
| Price source | Official Saucepan+ pricing page, read Oct 19, 2026 | Official janitor+ page and US App Store, read Oct 18, 2026 |
| Free tier | Unlimited chat on in-house models plus 20 premium-model credits a day | Unlimited chat on its in-house JLLM model, with about 9k tokens of memory |
| Tokens or credits | Daily premium credits by tier (72, 300 or unlimited). Your own API key is billed by that provider | Optional pay-per-token Router credits for third-party models (janitor+ only). Your own API key is billed by that provider |
| Memory | Manual chat memories (1,500 tokens free). Paid adds Smart Memories up to 10,000 tokens and auto summaries | About 9k tokens free, about 5x on janitor+. Editable Chat Memory notes |
| Voice and images | Text chat with voice playback. No built-in image generation found | Text only. No voice, image or video generation |
| Adult content setting | Adult roleplay for 18+ users on "Spicy" companions, with filters to hide them | Adult roleplay for 18+ users with "Limitless" bots on the web. Apps filtered by default |
| Age check | Click-through 18+ gate. Card-based Certified.ID check for Spicy content in the UK, Australia and Brazil | Self-declared 18+. k-ID check only for users in Australia, Brazil and the UK |
| Refunds | Generally no refunds. Access runs to the end of the billing cycle | Generally non-refundable. Access runs to the end of the paid period |
Which is better, Saucepan AI or Janitor AI?
Saucepan AI is the better deal for free users who want stronger models, while Janitor AI is the safer pick if you want phone apps and an established service. Saucepan launched in April 2025 and is run by a small, self-funded team; Janitor launched in June 2023 and reported about 3 million users within months, according to Semafor. No published side-by-side test of the two was found.
| If you mainly want | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Free access to stronger models | Saucepan AI | 20 premium messages a day, plus unlimited basic chat |
| The cheapest paid plan | Saucepan AI | Teaspoon is $6 a month, or $5 billed yearly |
| Built-in memory tools | Saucepan AI | Smart Memories and automatic summaries on paid tiers |
| Voice | Saucepan AI | Voice playback of messages; Janitor is text-only |
| Phone apps | Janitor AI | Official iOS and Android apps; Saucepan is browser-only |
| A single, simple plan | Janitor AI | janitor+ is $12.99 a month or $99 a year |
How much do Saucepan AI and Janitor AI cost?
Both are free to chat, and Saucepan’s paid tiers start lower while Janitor has one plan at $12.99 a month. Official prices, read October 19, 2026:
| Saucepan AI | Janitor AI | |
|---|---|---|
| Free use | Unlimited in-house model chat, 20 premium credits a day | Unlimited chat on its JLLM model |
| Paid plans | $6, $18 or $48 a month | janitor+ $12.99 a month |
| Yearly billing | $5, $15 or $40 a month, billed yearly | $99 a year (about $8.25 a month) |
| How you pay | Cards, including prepaid, through a third-party checkout | Card, Apple or Google |
| Your own model key | Free on Saucepan’s side; the provider bills you | Free on Janitor’s side; the provider bills you |
| Refunds | Generally none, case by case through support | Generally none, except where law requires |
Janitor subscribers can also buy pay-per-token credits for third-party models inside Janitor. Saucepan’s top Ladle tier lists unlimited premium messages, subject to fair use.
Which has better memory and context?
Saucepan gives more context on its free premium models and more memory tools on paid plans. Saucepan’s free tier starts at 12k tokens of context, and its premium Tatsuno model reaches 30k for free users and up to 50k on Ladle. Janitor’s free model sees about 9,000 tokens, and janitor+ roughly five times that. Both let you keep editable memory notes, but only Saucepan+ adds Smart Memories of up to 10,000 tokens per chat and automatic summaries of older messages.
Can you use your own model or a proxy on both?
Yes, both let you connect an outside model with your own key at no charge from the site. Saucepan supports vetted providers such as OpenAI, Anthropic and DeepSeek, and since May 2026 custom endpoints such as OpenRouter, but only on companions whose creator allows them. Janitor’s terms expressly allow configuring an API proxy, and janitor+ subscribers can also use third-party models through Janitor’s own pay-per-token Router. Saucepan says it gives outside models only limited support and can’t promise the same privacy protections.
Which is safer, Saucepan AI or Janitor AI?
Janitor has the stronger age checks and a named company, while Saucepan has clearer written privacy promises. What their official pages say:
| Saucepan AI | Janitor AI | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum age | 18 | 18 |
| Age check | Click-through, plus a card-based Certified.ID check for adult content in the UK, Australia and Brazil | Self-declared, plus k-ID checks (face, ID or AgeKey) in the UK, Australia and Brazil |
| Operator | grubs LLC (Delaware); privacy policy says Grubs Inc. | JanitorAI Inc. |
| Training on chats | Opt-in only, off by default | Not stated; no opt-out described |
| Data sale | Says it doesn’t sell or share personal data | Says it doesn’t sell personal data |
| Crisis support | Screens for self-harm risk and shows 988 | Shows crisis resources such as 988 |
| Regulator action | None found | None found |
Both allow adult roleplay for 18+ users and let you filter adult content. Saucepan’s content rules ban characters who look like minors, real people and photorealistic images on companions.
What do reviewers say about Saucepan AI and Janitor AI?
Published coverage of Saucepan is thin compared with Janitor. AIToolServices calls Saucepan a legitimate option for adults who want creative freedom and praises its free tier and support for your own keys, while noting the people behind it are undisclosed. NeuronFeed lists it as a 1 to 10 person startup with no disclosed funding. Janitor’s iOS app showed 4.5 out of 5 from about 4,900 US ratings on October 19, 2026; Saucepan has no store app or Trustpilot profile to compare.
Can you use Saucepan AI and Janitor AI on a phone?
Janitor, yes; Saucepan, only in a mobile browser. Janitor’s official apps are called “Janitor: Interactive Stories” on iOS and Android and open in a filtered mode by default. Saucepan has no store app, but its Install App page explains how to add the site to a home screen.
For more on each, read our Saucepan AI review, the Janitor AI subscription guide, Is Janitor AI safe? and the Janitor AI alternatives list.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Saucepan better than Janitor AI?
- For free users who want stronger models, Saucepan has the edge: 20 premium messages a day on top of unlimited basic chat, and paid tiers from $6. Janitor AI is better if you want official phone apps, a single $12.99 plan and a service with a longer track record. No published side-by-side test of the two was found.
- Does Saucepan AI work with OpenRouter?
- Yes, as a custom provider. Since May 5, 2026 Saucepan lets you add any endpoint, including OpenRouter, with your own key, but only on companions whose creator allows custom providers; the setting is off by default. Janitor AI also lets you connect outside models through a proxy, and its terms expressly allow that.
- What models does Saucepan AI use?
- Saucepan runs its own models, named after Japanese train stations. Free in-house models include Arita, Kojima and Notogawa, and premium models are Hirosaki, Tatsuno and Urasa, with Hirosaki built on DeepSeek. Janitor AI's default is its in-house JLLM, with more models for janitor+ subscribers.
Sources
- OfficialSaucepan+ pricing, Saucepan. Read October 19, 2026.
- OfficialSaucepan FAQ, Saucepan. Read October 19, 2026.
- OfficialSaucepan models, Saucepan. Read October 19, 2026.
- OfficialSaucepan terms of service (last modified Oct 4, 2026), Saucepan. Read October 19, 2026.
- OfficialSaucepan privacy policy (last modified Jul 3, 2026), Saucepan. Read October 19, 2026.
- OfficialSaucepan suicide prevention protocol, Saucepan. Read October 19, 2026.
- OfficialNew models and external providers (Nov 1, 2025), Saucepan. Read October 19, 2026.
- OfficialCustom providers, a new chat experience and chat folders (May 5, 2026), Saucepan. Read October 19, 2026.
- OfficialSafety and policy update, including AU and BR age verification (Jun 12, 2026), Saucepan. Read October 19, 2026.
- OfficialMore context, endless memory, and a few other updates (Oct 14, 2026), Saucepan. Read October 19, 2026.
- Officialjanitor+ plans, Janitor AI. Read October 19, 2026.
- App storeJanitor: Interactive Stories (US App Store), Apple App Store. Read October 19, 2026.
- App storeJanitor: Interactive Stories (Google Play), Google Play. Read October 18, 2026.
- OfficialJanitor AI terms of service (updated Oct 8, 2026), Janitor AI. Read October 18, 2026.
- OfficialJanitor AI privacy policy (updated Sep 17, 2026), Janitor AI. Read October 18, 2026.
- OfficialJanitor AI safety, Janitor AI. Read October 18, 2026.
- OfficialChat memory and context management (updated Aug 11, 2026), Janitor AI help center. Read October 18, 2026.
- OfficialAge verification for Australia, Brazil and the UK (updated Jun 15, 2026), Janitor AI help center. Read October 18, 2026.
- NewsThe NSFW chatbot app hooking Gen Z on AI boyfriends (Sep 20, 2023), Semafor. Read October 18, 2026.
- ReviewSaucepan AI review: the unfiltered chatbot frontier? (updated Jun 4, 2026), AIToolServices. Read October 19, 2026.
- ReviewSaucepan startup profile, NeuronFeed. Read October 19, 2026.
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